Technical Field
The present disclosure is directed to wireless access points and, more particularly, wireless access points changing a parameter based on whether a wireless device is being used.
Description of the Related Art
Many modern electronics can be connected to wireless local area networks (WLAN).
Wireless access points are the central connection point for a WLAN. The wireless access point uses radio waves to allow a variety of wireless devices to communicate to each other. The wireless access point may also provide connection to a wired network. A very large number of computers, electronics devices, appliances, and everyday items now come with wireless capabilities and will connect to a wireless access point.
Wireless access points are most often based on IEEE 802.11 standards, commonly referred to as Wi-Fi. Wireless access points communicate with connected wireless devices, commonly called clients, using a number of different parameters for the communication signals, such as RF frequency/channel. Wi-Fi devices are capable of communications in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. Within the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands are a number of different channels, each having a bandwidth of about 20 MHz, and channels can be bonded to increase the bandwidth.
Each wireless device that is connected to an access point will generally have an optimum channel for communication with the access point. Many different factors affect which channel is optimum for each device, such as the location of the device, the interference present, the wireless transceiver, RF front end and antenna configuration contained within the wireless device, and how many other access points are in the area. Any given WLAN may have several different wireless devices connected to a single access point at any given time, each potentially having a different channel at which their communications with the access point are optimum.
Access points could be configured to automatically change the channel they are communicating on if a connected wireless device is not responding with acknowledgements and/or the desired throughput is not being achieved. However, when the access point changes the channel to increase the communication signal with a first wireless device, it could result in a decreased communication signal with another wireless device.